Legal rights of surrogates?

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Surrogate mothers have the right to demand payment for medical expenses and can change their mind about giving up the child after birth if it is biologically theirs. Couples must pay for medical expenses, but details are left to the parties involved. Surrogates may have no claim to the child if it is not biologically related to them, and contact with the couple can vary.

The rights of surrogate mothers vary widely from one region to another, but there are some common rules that most areas abide by. For example, in most cases, the surrogate mother has the right to demand that her medical expenses be paid, as long as they are associated with the pregnancy. You generally also have the right to change your mind about abandoning the child after delivery, as long as the child is biologically yours. In addition, she generally may choose to have only limited contact with the couple who pay her, as some women want to enjoy their pregnancy alone.

Almost all surrogacy contracts stipulate that the couple hoping for a child must pay the surrogate mother’s medical bills. This is to avoid surrogate mothers having to pay for prenatal doctor visits, vitamins and hospital bills. Of course, the couple is usually only required to cover the costs associated with the pregnancy, but some may choose to pay for other medical needs as well so that the surrogate can remain as healthy as possible. While coverage of medical expenses is a general expectation, the details are generally left to the parties involved.

In some cases, a couple may be able to conceive, but the woman cannot carry the baby to term due to problems with the uterus. Such couples can pay to have their embryo transferred to a surrogate mother so they can have a child who is biologically their own. Surrogate mothers who go this route usually have no claim to the child as it is not related to them in any way, so they are legally required to give it up after birth. On the other hand, couples with female fertility issues may choose to use the male’s sperm to artificially inseminate the surrogate, meaning the resulting baby is half her size. In such cases, the surrogate mother has the choice not to assign rights after the birth, even if this usually leads to a legal battle between her and the couple.

Some surrogate mothers are happy with their ability to allow a couple to have a baby and want to stay in touch throughout their pregnancy. This allows the couple to ensure that the surrogate is taking care of herself and the unborn child, and usually also leads to a close bond between them. On the other hand, some surrogate mothers choose to have more limited contact with the couple, meeting with them only when necessary, and perhaps sending news of antenatal appointments. This is more common when couples use websites to find surrogates, especially when they live in different areas.




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